WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Predicting Odds for All 30 Potential Entrants
Royal Rumble, WWE.com
Who do we think stands the greatest chance of winning the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble match?
On Sunday, January 29, the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view will be back. This is the show that plants the seeds for WrestleMania, which is set for April 2 in Orlando, FL. Most notably, this is the event that sees someone receive a guaranteed title match for the Show of Shows via the over-the-top-rope bout, better known as the Royal Rumble.
30 Superstars will be part of the Royal Rumble match and look for an opportunity to receive a World title match at WrestleMania. 2016 saw this take a different spin, though, with Roman Reigns defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He would end up losing it to the eventual winner, Triple H.
One year later, we are back to the traditional Royal Rumble and the field is quickly developing. It is not quite set yet, but we dove into the potential field of Superstars and looked at their chances of winning the whole thing in just a few weeks.
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30. Bo Dallas
Bo Dallas winning the Royal Rumble? Yeah, right. There is a better chance of WWE mending fences with CM Punk before this happens.
Dallas has taken on a more serious version of his persona in recent months. This includes making stern faces as he comes to the ring instead of doing the silly victory laps, which got him a few pops back in 2014.
If the former NXT Champion had been treated somewhat seriously, maybe he would make it toward the upper 20’s. There’s just no chance of him staying around for more than maybe 1-2 minutes in this match.
Odds: There is no “Bo-lieving” this one
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29. Curt Hawkins
Remember how for weeks we saw vignettes played for the big return of Curt Hawkins? It seemed like he had been taking on a Chuck Norris gimmick based on the quotes WWE used that dated back to… 2007.
Weeks onto his return to WWE, Hawkins suffered a quick defeat at the hands of Dolph Ziggler in what had supposed to be an Intercontinental Championship Open Challenge. The former Edge Head has since lingered around SmackDown, facing Apollo Crews a handful of times.
Hawkins could head into the Royal Rumble match for comedic effect. He’s not going to make any noise, though, and will suffer a similar fate to Bo Dallas.
Odds: No chance
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28. Kane
Kane is tailor-made for the Royal Rumble match. He dominated them in the early 2000’s, and even once had the record for the most eliminations in a single Rumble with 11. In total, he has appeared in 17 of these matches, but has won a grand total of zero of them.
At age 49, Kane remains a steady presence in WWE, working on SmackDown, semi-regularly. He worked a mini-program with Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and Luke Harper when the new Wyatt Family formed. Other than that, the Big Red Machine has been quiet since the brand split.
Royal Rumble 2017 will be Kane’s 18th. Unfortunately, for him, he will be left without a victory. It could always be his final over-the-top-rope match, but the former World Heavyweight Champion seems to be an ageless wonder in the ring. Could he be back for 2018?
Odds: Not happening
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27. Big Show
As we saw a few weeks ago on WWE Raw, Big Show is back. He had not wrestled on the Flagship Show since the WWE Draft in July, a sign that times are changing and he’s not going to have much of a role. If anything, his status with the company may be in doubt after his inevitable match with former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal at WrestleMania 33.
Like Kane, Show is tailor-made for the Royal Rumble match. He’s arguably the largest Superstar in WWE, so every time he’s in this bout, they make a big deal about his size and have multiple wrestlers try to eliminate him.
In 2017, the World’s Largest Athlete could make his way into this match, but won’t have much success. It won’t be anywhere close to he and Kane being two of the final four in the controversial 2015 Royal Rumble, that’s for sure.
Odds: None
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26. Apollo Crews
When Apollo Crews debuted at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, it looked like he had the full package. The look was there, he had the smile that could seemingly win over the crowd, his athleticism is off the charts, and wrestling ability is all there. However, 17 months later, it just has not clicked for Crews. This had been the case in NXT with losses in big matches, followed by a surprising call-up that led to him floundering.
The brand split looked like it would treat Crews well at first, especially when he got included in the six-pack challenge to become the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship. He then got an Intercontinental Championship opportunity at SummerSlam, but lost in five minutes.
Heading into the Royal Rumble, Crews could get some air time by showing off the potential that he and WWE say he has. He could pull off a few athletic moves, get a pop or two, but will not last for long in the match. There is no chance of him winning.
Odds: Zero
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25. Sheamus
Sheamus winning the Royal Rumble match in 2012 seems like an eternity ago. He did not end up headlining WrestleMania 28, but did beat Daniel Bryan in the blink of an eye for the World Heavyweight Championship. 2015 even saw the Celtic Warrior return to the title scene by cashing in Money in the Bank and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, only to lose the belt three weeks later to Roman Reigns.
Gold is wrapped around Sheamus’ waste again, though, with the Raw Tag Team Championship. He is likely set to head into the Royal Rumble with the belt pending a surprising passing of the title in the coming weeks.
It would not be surprising to see the former League of Nations (remember when that used to be a thing?) member get a spot in the over-the-top-rope match at the end of the month. His chances of winning have eroded completely with his use over the past few years to the point where unless he gets another surprising push into the main event scene, this will never happen.
Odds: No clover leaf can save his chances
Credit: WWE.com
24. Rusev
Rusev has been the victim of stop-and-start pushes during his WWE career. He looked set to become a top heel in 2015, but ran into John Cena. The Face That Runs the Place topped the Bulgarian Brute in three of their four title matches, and sent him into a love program with Dolph Ziggler for the rest of the year.
Last spring, Rusev looked to be on the rise with his second United States Championship win. However, he ran into Roman Reigns. These two had four matches, three of which Reigns won (the other never technically happened). Two-plus months since their last bout, Rusev has been stuck in a feud with Enzo Amore, who hit on Lana, got lured to a hotel room, and proceeded to get obliterated by the former Hero of the Russian Federation.
In January 2017, Rusev is not quite a comedy character, but he does not have a good spot, even on the mid-card. If the end to his 2016 had been any indication, he will not get much of a run in the Royal Rumble match. Expect him to have a short stay and get eliminated by Big Cass.
Prediction: None
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23. Xavier Woods
Xavier Woods is the first of the confirmed Royal Rumble entrants to show up on the list. He, Kofi Kingston, and Big E all declared their intention of entering the Rumble just a few weeks after dropping the Raw Tag Team Championship. This even led to a hint of tension between the three after Titus O’Neil called Woods the “weak link” of the group.
Woods does not have much of a chance of winning this match. However, he does have a shot of potentially creating tension with Big E and Kingston if WWE has O’Neil comments go to his head. This could result in a surprising elimination, leading to a potential heel turn and New Day feud.
The former TNA star is not going to win the Royal Rumble and receive a title match. Depending on how he is booked as a singles star, maybe he moves up the list in future years, but there is no chance of this happening in 2017.
Odds: None
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22. Luke Harper
Luke Harper is in an interesting spot right now. He has had teased tension with Randy Orton for weeks after the Apex Predator surprisingly joined the Wyatt Family last fall. This went away for a few weeks when they were SmackDown Tag Team Champions, but has since restarted after losing the belts to American Alpha in late December.
The end result of this Wyatt Family conflict could be intriguing. We may see Orton revert back to being a babyface to face Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 33. Or, could Harper end up going face in the process?
This could develop during the Royal Rumble match, with Harper, Orton, and Wyatt all likely entrants. None have a great chance of winning, but they will make this traditional spectacle one worth monitoring. It may result in one eliminating the other or potentially nothing happening. Harper will not win this, though, and has virtually no chance.
Odds: No chance
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21. Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston has become a fixture in the Royal Rumble match. Despite his placement on the roster in past years, he has become notorious for finding unique ways to survive. It makes for a fun moment in the match, whether it is from doing a handstand to walking along the barricade. Expect more of the same with that in 2017.
As noted for Xavier Woods, given how all three members of New Day are in this match, there is a chance of this being the first sign of them breaking up after two-plus years together. Most, if not all teams or friendships in WWE come to an end, so this would be the latest casualty. The potential tease of this will make Kingston’s Rumble interesting, even if there is no chance of him winning the match.
Kingston could have somewhat of a run in this over-the-top-rope bout. It will not last any further than a potential New Day run-in, whenever that may be during this.
Odds: None
Credit: WWE.com
20. Big Cass
If the first eight months of his time on the WWE main roster has been any indication, the company is high on Big Cass. He has rarely taken a pinfall, received a WWE Universal Championship opportunity, and has the classic look that the company wants. He and Enzo Amore are also popular with the fans every time they do their opening promo shtick on WWE Raw, which cannot hurt.
However, Cass has not exactly done anything that significant for most of this run. The Realest Guys in the Room are currently stuck in a feud with Rusev and Jinder Mahal, something that started with Amore trying to start an affair with Lana. Given how Cass is Enzo’s friend, he has stuck up for him throughout this and fought the Bulgarian Brute a few times, but that is about it.
If Cass had more momentum heading into the Royal Rumble, he would be taken more seriously as a back-end contender. That won’t be the case, but he has a decent chance of surviving until the final 6-8 people left in the match.
When the Master of the Empire Elbow eventually departs Amore and starts a singles run, he will have a chance of making noise in the Royal Rumble. For 2017, though, he has an extreme outside chance of winning.
Odds: Slim to none
Credit: WWE.com
19. Cesaro
Cesaro has been a frustrating case over the past three years. The fans have been behind him since the days of the Real American tag team with Jack Swagger. They were ready to see the Swiss Superman get an intriguing singles run the night after WrestleMania 30 after building momentum with the Andre the Giant Battle Royal win, and aligning with Paul Heyman.
Since then, it has been more of the same for Cesaro. He has received stop-and-start pushes and been in a handful of tag teams. However, this saw the former ROH star win two tag team championships, with the second reign an ongoing one with Sheamus on Raw.
Heading into the Royal Rumble match, Cesaro has a little bit of momentum and should put on an entertaining showing as a potential member of the 30-man group. However, if there was an opportunity for him to win, it would have come two of three years ago. It will not happen in 2017, but he will have an opportunity to get a decent run in this match.
Odds: Slim to none
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18. Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler could not stop losing matches for months, if not years as a babyface. This became a point of emphasis in storylines with feuds against Dean Ambrose, the Miz and a brief one with Baron Corbin to close out 2016. Most of these matches were for championships on pay-per-views too, but the Showoff could not find any luck.
Well, on the first episode of SmackDown in 2017, Ziggler went rogue and surprisingly attacked Kalisto. He then headbutted and took out his frustrations on Apollo Crews in the locker room, signaling a new edge for the former Intercontinental Champion.
This new found attitude of Ziggler’s should result in a push on Tuesday nights. For the Royal Rumble, though? Not so much. Like others previously noted, the former Spirit Squad member’s best chance at winning would have come back in 2013 or 2015, two instances where he had plenty of momentum. That faded away with the constant big match losses to the point where the heel turn may have been necessary.
Ziggler could make some noise in the middle of the match, but he will not get far enough for his goal.
Odds: Slim to none
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17. Big E
As noted, New Day joining the WWE Royal Rumble match spells potential disaster for the trio. They have been together since 2014, but if one of Big E, Kofi Kingston, or Xavier Woods end up having championship gold on their minds, then they could look to eliminate one another later this month.
Big E has been perceived to be the member of New Day with the most potential. He has the size and look that WWE wants and broke out into one of the most charismatic Superstars over the past few years. It is a far cry from his days as Intercontinental Champion in 2013, where he did not seem to have much of a personality.
If WWE decides to begin breaking up the trio in the Royal Rumble match, could Big E be the one to create the tension with Woods and Kingston? He may not be the one to do so, but either way, he should get a look as a force to be reckoned with. This will not result in a victory, as he has little to no chance of winning, but this could be a great starting point for him.
Odds: Slim to none
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16. Randy Orton
A story of the Royal Rumble match could be tension between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. Things seemed to be status quo with them heading into the final SmackDown of 2016, but a surprising tag team title loss to American Alpha seemed to set things in motion. This did not come between Orton and Wyatt, but Orton and Luke Harper.
By the time the Royal Rumble match comes around, we may get some increased heat between all three members, most notably Orton and Wyatt. If so, they may be on a collision course to a WrestleMania 33 match.
This will likely take the Apex Predator out of the mix for winning the Royal Rumble. He has also drifted away from the World title picture for most of the past two years (despite injury), and may not return to the picture for a while.
What could be possible is Orton and Wyatt in the final four, with one of the two eventually turning on the other. That could be a way of getting to WrestleMania and going forward from there with a feud on SmackDown.
Odds: Slim to none
Credit: WWE.com
15. Bray Wyatt
Given Randy Orton’s situation, Bray Wyatt likely falls into the same boat. These two are likely primed for a match at WrestleMania 33 after building things up with a surprising alignment.
If Orton and Wyatt had not been tied together for WrestleMania season, we may have talked about the latter man a bit more to win the Royal Rumble match. He received somewhat of a resurgence heading into the WWE brand split, going with a new look and having Luke Harper rejoin him. If the Eater of Worlds had built up momentum during this time without the feud with the Viper, then he could have stood a better chance of getting a title match.
One day, the door will be open just a crack more for Wyatt to win the Royal Rumble match. He is still early in his WWE career and will have more opportunities at age 29. Maybe these begin later this year, especially if a win over Orton is in store in a potential match this spring.
Odds: Slim to none
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14. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is the Underdog from the Underground for a reason. He is always fighting back in situations where it does not seem like he stands a chance, which recently came in a feud with Braun Strowman. Zayn fought his way through a war with the Mountain of a Man, but could not succeed in their Last Man Standing match on Raw.
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This use of Zayn brought back memories of his NXT days when he had to overcome not being able to win the “big one,” as Neville would say. The former ROH star then finally achieved his goal of winning the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution in December 2014.
Zayn winning the Royal Rumble match would be another great underdog story to add to his career. Then he would get the opportunity to challenge Kevin Owens (if he defeats Roman Reigns) for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 33.
One day, there may be a better opportunity for Zayn to win this match and WrestleMania opportunity. He does not have the worst odds of them all to walk out victoriously, but he also does not stand much of a chance at winning. How about him in the final two with Strowman, at least? How much of a reaction would that draw?
Odds: Slim
Credit: WWE.com
13. Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is the first and only NXT name to be featured on the list. If what happened at the recent NXT taping is any indication, we could see Joe make his long-awaited WWE main roster debut soon. What better way of introducing him than the Royal Rumble match?
The first sign of Joe potentially being called up came when he lost the NXT Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura in August. Following this was a continuation of the feud in the fall, including Joe winning the belt back at TakeOver: Toronto and Nakamura regaining control at the NXT live event in Osaka, Japan.
Now that the King of Strong Style has won their rematch, Joe is essentially out of the title picture. With arguably nothing left in NXT for him to do, the Royal Rumble could be the place where he shows up on January 29.
If the Samoan Submission Machine debuts here, he stands a decent chance at getting a run to show off his dominance with his size and strength. WWE has given “rookies” fair opportunities to in the past to get lengthy opportunities in this match like AJ Styles and Rusev.
The ultimate shock factor would be Joe winning the Royal Rumble and jumping straight into the title scene, potentially for Raw. It is far-fetched, but there is at least a shot of him making some noise. Given a new found direction, he would have a better chance than some of the previously mentioned veteran stars, given their own developing feuds.
Odds: Slim
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12. Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar became the second entrant into the WWE Royal Rumble match back in November. This came days after Goldberg entered. Before that, the former WCW star destroyed Lesnar in 86 seconds at the Survivor Series pay-per-view.
We have not seen the Beast Incarnate since this night, which may be the case until we get to the Royal Rumble. Despite his lack of presence, he will still be discussed as a favorite to win.
However, the whole Lesnar-Goldberg angle still seems to be in play for a future date, likely WrestleMania 33. If so, this would take out the former Next Big thing from the equation and set up a showdown between these two during the Royal Rumble match. These two eliminating each other may be a possibility here too.
Why would there be a shot of Lesnar winning after the events at Survivor Series? If anything, his stock is at its lowest point since his loss to John Cena in 2012. A bit of a repair will be needed to get him anywhere close to where he was in 2015, which may not happen again. If WWE were to give him the Royal Rumble victory following this, then it would be a pretty sizable upset.
Odds: None
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11. The Miz
2016 turned into the Miz’s year and may have been the breakout star. He stole the show during the first six months of the brand split with an impressive WWE Intercontinental Championship reign, as well as taking the belt the night after WrestleMania 32.
As of now, the early direction for the A-lister seems to be a title rematch with Dean Ambrose for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Pending the result, though, we could see Miz enter the Royal Rumble match and have a better shot than most of the other listed WWE stars at winning.
If WWE is taking Miz’s success in 2016 seriously, he will be made to look like a contender in the Royal Rumble. He may not come near the World title on SmackDown (yet), but this match may be an intriguing way of creating the bridge toward that happening, potentially after WrestleMania 33.
Giving the former Tough Enough star a chance at winning this match is not the craziest thing, but this will probably be saved for a bigger name (more on that soon). He may never win the Royal Rumble, but he should lurk around Tuesday night’s main event scene soon enough.
Odds: Outside chance
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10. Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins lurked around the title picture for most of the past two years, winning a World championship on two occasions (the second being a reign of minutes). Since WWE Hell in a Cell, though, it seems he is getting a break from this and going to a top tier spot on Raw’s roster, but a tick below.
Rollins has achieved plenty in his early WWE career. This includes winning Money in the Bank, the two title wins, getting a grand moment at WrestleManai 31, and being part of the Shield. However, he has never won the Royal Rumble match before.
The odds of the Architect winning this year are not great, but he can be considered a candidate due to his place on the roster over the past few years. The lack of faith is due to the presence of Triple H, who got called out by Rollins on multiple occasions. He has not shown up yet, but it seems inevitable and will eventually push these two to a WrestleMania 33 match.
If WrestleMania plans change between this and the Royal Rumble, then Rollins could stand a chance a chance at winning. With others having been given more significant pushes than him, though, he stands on the outside looking in.
Odds: Outside chance
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9. Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin has been one of the beneficiaries of the WWE brand split. He had a successful start to his main roster career this past spring, but fell into a directionless pit with Dolph Ziggler throughout the summer. This had been until Corbin started cutting some impressive promos on Talking Smack and backing up his talk with his wrestling on pay-per-view and in big TV matches.
Five months later, Corbin would get a WWE Championship opportunity on the final episode of SmackDown in 2016. He would not win, but looked solid in the effort and did not get pinned. A win over Dolph Ziggler and subsequent entry into the Royal Rumble match (during a segment with John Cena and AJ Styles) would follow this. Oh, and he’s getting an opportunity to face Cena on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown.
If we are to believe that the Lone Wolf stands a chance at winning the Royal Rumble match, look back to his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal win. If WWE really wants to push forward his talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk booking, then he could have an outside shot of winning and challenging for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.
Given that Corbin has not even crossed the one-year threshold of his time on the main roster, expectations should be tempered. Maybe in a year or two this will change, but in 2017, he will have to give way for the others in this match.
Odds: Not this year, maybe in 2018
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8. Dean Ambrose
The sound from the Amway Center as Dean Ambrose looked like he had a Royal Rumble victory in his hands had been thunderous. It looked like he would top Triple H, upset the rumor mill, and be the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The Game would silent everyone, though, and predictably walk into WrestleMania 32 to face and lose to Roman Reigns.
One year later, we are in a somewhat similar spot with Ambrose. He owns the WWE Intercontinental Championship, is likely to defend the belt in a rematch at the Royal Rumble, and has enough momentum to get into a top match at the Show of Shows (he faced Brock Lesnar last April).
This time around, the Lunatic Fringe may not quite have the shot that he did in 2016. He already went through a WWE Championship reign and had a lengthy feud to get the belt back with AJ Styles. Given an unknown direction heading into WrestleMania season, however, could that mean he sneaks his way into the title picture again?
Odds: Somewhat of a chance
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7. Goldberg
Goldberg had seemingly come back for one last match, “one last spear” and “one last jackhammer.” Well, the response to all three of those is no, because he entered himself into the Royal Rumble match shortly after winning at Survivor Series against Brock Lesnar.
The return of the former WCW star has seen him interjected into Raw’s main event scene. He has not and probably will not wrestle on the show, but has made sporadic appearances on the Flagship Program. This stay has also mostly seen him refer to Lesnar, so all signs are pointing to these two having a rematch at WrestleMania 33.
However, the stare downs and verbal jabs that Goldberg had on the January 2 episode of Raw raised an eyebrow. He had words with Kevin Owens, until Roman Reigns came out and stared him down. They then teamed to spear Braun Strowman to close the show.
Let’s say Reigns wins the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Does that set up a date with Goldberg at a later time if the tease meant something? If so, WWE could get to this by having the 50-year-old winning the over-the-top-rope match and headlining WrestleMania 33.
A Reigns vs. Goldberg match to close the Show of Shows does not seem ideal and only predictable, though. If anything, it would be better suited for Fastlane. This probably takes Goldberg out of a World title opportunity then and sets him up for the probable Lesnar match.
Odds: A potential favorite
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6. Finn Balor
Finn Balor is continuing to state that he is targeting a WrestleMania return, as evidenced by his interview with ESPN. He has been out of action since the Raw after SummerSlam due to a shoulder injury, which forced him to relinquish the Universal Championship that he won, one day prior.Where there is smoke, there is fire, though. With all the questions surrounding Balor’s
This is wrestling, though. Should we really believe in an interview that Balor will not be back for the Royal Rumble match? Crazier things have happened, like John Cena’s shocking return in 2008. So, why not believe that Balor could show up and win the whole shebang later this month?
A Balor return would send shockwaves throughout the potentially packed Alamodome, which would be one of the best moments of the early WWE year. He could return and look to get back the title he never lost, an easy story for WWE to tell and for the fans to get behind.
The only question is the Demon King’s health. Is his shoulder good to go? Is it anywhere close to being ready for in-ring action? The news updates on his status have been few and far between, so all fans can do is hope for a possible surprise return in San Antonio. Otherwise, his WrestleMania timetable will look more realistic.
If Balor does return, he steps in as an immediate favorite to win. Superstars making big returns in the Royal Rumble have had success in the past (Cena, Triple H, Edge), so would WWE do the same for the longest reigning NXT Champion of all time?
Odds: Rebellions Returns are built on hope
Credit: WWE.com
5. Roman Reigns
Given the past three Royal Rumbles, Roman Reigns entering the 2017 version would probably make some fans roll their eyes. He has been a focus of each of these, being in the final two In 2014, winning in 2015, and defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2016.
This year, the Big Dog will challenge for Kevin Owens’ Universal Championship. If he does not walk out with a win, though, expect WWE to make him pull double-duty and enter the Royal Rumble match. If so, we have an instant favorite here to win and receive a title match at WrestleMania 33.
The reaction to Reigns winning another Royal Rumble or even playing a significant role probably will not be good, especially in a 60,000-seat arena where the most vocal WWE fans will be. It would not quite be like 100,000 people booing him out of AT&T Stadium, but it is close. Seeing him headline WrestleMania for a third consecutive year may not sit well with others either, leading to similar concern that was heard throughout this time in 2016.
Will Roman Reigns win the Royal Rumble match? These doubts will be cast aside if he defeats Kevin Owens. If not, then look out for the former Shield man.
Odds: A definite favorite
Credit: WWE.com
4. John Cena
John Cena has a similar situation to Roman Reigns, as both have World title matches before the Royal Rumble bout. With wins, they would each be taken out of the evening’s main event, which is a realistic scenario. If so, this would be Cena’s 16th World championship win, tying him with Ric Flair for the total that WWE recognizes.
There is always a chance of AJ Styles defeating Cena, though. That would probably place the Face That Runs the Place into the Royal Rumble match and make him an instant favorite to win it all for the third time.
If Cena wins the Royal Rumble match, one would have to think he would not be facing Styles for the fourth time. The more likely scenario would be the Phenomenal One losing the WWE Championship sometime in between, thus opening up a new opponent for the Leader of the Cenation at WrestleMania 33. That would make this match against whomever that Superstar may be a main event possibility.
If I had to guess, Cena is going to walk out of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view by defeating Styles for the title. That would take him out of the match later on and make the evening’s winner his potential opponent for WrestleMania 33.
However, “because I’m John Cena” stands here. Seriously.
Odds: Because he’s John Cena
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3. Braun Strowman
Six months ago, Braun Strowman ran through jobbers and called for better competition. Now, he has had to go through Sami Zayn and clashed with some of WWE Raw’s top stars over the past six weeks. This includes Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, and most notably, Roman Reigns. It certainly has not been done for no reason, as it seems like the push of Strowman to the main event scene is about to come to fruition.
The culmination of the path to getting the Mountain of a Man to this point would be a Royal Rumble match victory. It would cement the first time ever that he would get a chance at a WWE World title. Getting it at WrestleMania 33, of all places, would be a plus toward his career. Winning is the icing on the cake.
For this to happen, Reigns would likely have to win the Universal Championship in his match with Owens. Then we would have one of the likely co-main event bouts set up for the Grandest Stage of Them All on April 2.
To give Strowman the win here would put plenty of faith into him being able to handle a potential 10-15 minute singles match. We saw him do this with Zayn at Roadblock, but there were also distractions to let the time fly by. If WWE feels he has improved enough to handle this pressure-filled stage, then there is a solid chance of him getting the win.
Odds: One of the favorites
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2. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is probably going away from WWE soon. As Cageside Seats noted in a recent rumor roundup, he recently began working on a new album with Fozzy, potentially spelling the end of this year-plus run with the company.
At age 46, Jericho is obviously on the opposite side of his wrestling career. It is remarkable that he has been willing to work a full-time schedule for so long in this run, though, especially when it seemed like there were times that he would be done for a while. Then came the List, which took on a life of its own in the fall and should remain a steady presence with Y2J as we head toward WrestleMania 33.
The one thing Jericho has not achieved in his WWE career is winning the Royal Rumble match. It is an accomplishment that would be the icing on the cake for his 20-plus years in the wrestling business, something that is not so crazy as one would think. This is all due to Kevin Owens.
The best friend angle with Owens has created tension between the two, which has seemed to mostly be cleared up as we near KO’s match with Roman Reigns. If Universal Championship is retained, then this could easily set up a Jericho vs. Owens match for WrestleMania 33 with a logical and long build behind it, something that WWE put into place way back in the summer.
This all hinges on the Owens vs. Reigns match result, because if the title switches hands, then it removes Jericho’s chances of winning completely. With the way things currently stand, however, the Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla should be one of the biggest favorites to win the Royal Rumble match and get a title shot at WrestleMania.
Odds: One of the favorites
Credit: WWE.com
1. Undertaker
The Undertaker said on the final SmackDown before Survivor Series that SmackDown is his “home.” However, he is set to show up on the January 9 episode of WWE Raw for reasons still unknown. Given the time of year we are in for WWE programming, should there be any doubt that it is not about the Royal Rumble match?
If the Undertaker enters and wins, the idea could be that he eventually challenges the titleholder from AJ Styles vs. John Cena, keeping him around on SmackDown. It will goes without saying that WWE has to address why he would show up on Raw, though (hello, ratings).
Why at age 51, and on the final years, or months of his WWE career would the Dead Man be booked to win the Royal Rumble match, though?
Did you hear those “Under-taker” chants during Cena’s return to SmackDown on December 27? That may be the reason why. WWE would get the opportunity to set up a potential title match between these two at WrestleMania, which would seemingly have to begin with the Face That Runs the Place defeating Styles earlier in the evening at the Royal Rumble. Undertaker would then capture the win in the over-the-top-rope match, later on, to set up the dream scenario for these two.
The Phenom winning in 2017 would come during a time when there is no clear-cut Superstar to win. Would WWE really give Roman Reigns another win? Seth Rollins is involved with Triple H. Braun Strowman’s time may not be yet. Dean Ambrose just had a lengthy run in the World title scene. Everyone else does not stand much of a chance for this year as well based on current titleholders and recent booking. This opens up the opportunity for the Undertaker to step in and get a big win to set up potentially his “last ride” with WWE.
Essentially, he makes too much sense to win.
Odds: The Undertaker
Whose year is it to win the Royal Rumble match? Is it Undertaker? Could Chris Jericho get the win? Will it be someone like John Cena or Roman Reigns? How about someone who no one sees coming?
